Naming Trends in 2024

The tech industry's obsession with quirky extensions is fading. Founders are returning to foundational brand building.

The Decline of the Suffix

Adding "-ly" (e.g., Grammarly) was the dominant trend of the 2010s. In 2024, Y Combinator data shows a 40% drop in suffix-based names among batch companies.

Era	Trend	Example
2000s	Vowel Dropping	Flickr, Tumblr
2010s	The "-ly" Suffix	Optimizely
2020s	Abstract CVCVCV	Zocdoc, Fafifo

Common Mistakes

Following a trend too closely guarantees your brand will sound dated in five years. Abstract names are timeless.

FAQ

Are .ai domains a passing trend?

While highly relevant now, embedding the technology into the brand name restricts the company if the core technology shifts in the future.

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